In the latest attack, Shivba outfit leader Manoj Jarange-Patil termed Food and Civil Supplies minister Chhagan
Bhujbal as panauti (bad omen) and accused him of spreading casteist unrest in the state. Jarange-Patil have been
campaigning for maratha reservation for almost four months, while Bhujbal has strongly opposed their demand
to separate maratha reservation from the OBC category. In the face of direct confrontation between the two
groups, Bhujbal on thursday went to Nashik to survey some rain-affected areas, where he faced strong
opposition from the farmers.
What did Manoj Jarange say?
Responding to this, Jarange-Patil said that Bhujbal is unlucky and because of him the farmers of the state will
suffer from Sadhesati (an astrological term indicating bad luck for seven and a half years). Jarange Patil alleged,
Bhujbal is a Panauti and will bring bad omen to farmers... He breaks laws, mentions castes of great ideals, he is
against reservation and while holding a constitutional post, he indulges in caste discrimination. Spreading
unrest. He advised the breakaway group of the nationalist congress party (Ajit Pawar) not to go ahead with the
survey tour of the affected farmers and said, Let the government administration do the necessary work for the
affected farmers.
Chhagan targeted the armed forces
Jarange-Patil said, “Does he (Bhujbal) go there and prepare the panchnama? Then why is he going there to
trample the fields... Farmers like it better when he leaves them alone. On his current tour of several villages in
Yeola taluka of Nashik, Bhujbal was arrested on thursday by local Marathas. They faced strong protests and
demonstrations from youth and elders, who attempted to stop their vehicle, raised slogans against them, asked
them to go back, and said that they should leave them to their fate. In a village, after the minister's convoy left,
locals raised slogans behind him and purified the roads by sprinkling cow urine and chanting mantras. Videos of
the incident are going viral, in which armed forces are seen trying to pacify the agitated crowd.
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